press: ROLLING STONE magazine

by Dave Dimartino

The Blue Nile: A Walk Across the Rooftops: Collectors Edition, Hats: Collectors Edition(both Virgin) It’s one of those weeks in which, sad to say, the absolute best albums being offered are deluxe reissues of classics originally offered in the ‘80s! Yep, just as you’ve always suspected, all the best stuff came out long before you were born—but still, that new Hoobastank may be the winner we all hope for in 2033! As classics go, these first two albums by Scotland’s Blue Nile are absolutely mesmerizing, minimal classics that are about as emotive as good pop music ever gets, and here they’re both bolstered by an additional disc, each adding weight to albums I would readily describe as true pop classics. If you haven’t heard them, you need to; if you have heard them, a good re-listening with these bonus discs is in order; if you’re into driving around late at night on an empty road with the stereo blasting, tears in your eyes, and a bridge abutment heading toward you at 90 mph, you should definitely stop at that Wendy’s!